Airport Stories #1: Terror in the Skies

My sister is handicapped. Colleen is a victim of developmental delays, which is why at 18 years old, she cannot talk or communicate in any clear way. She is frustrated. The older she gets the more frustrated she gets. This is why it is becoming incredibly difficult to travel with her.

To effectively preface this story, I have to explain Colleen’s ideal environment. In a phrase: DVD players. She is obsessed with them. She watches Mickey Mouse and the menu screen of the Muppets constantly on as many TVs as she can gather. My father has spent countless thousands on electronics for her, tablet DVD players, portable DVD players, video players you download content on from the PC. If they make it she has owned it and broken it. When the movie ends, she tosses the player.

Disney World is another of my sister’s activities. She goes at least once a year, sometimes too. This is why we were on a plane to Florida. My sister sat in between my mother and I on one side of the aisle, and my father sat on the other side of it. In front of us was an elderly couple who had no idea of the horror they booked a ticket for. We are in the seats and have the players going. Colleen is not particularly happy, but she’s not pissed either. That is until the flight attendant comes to ask us specifically to stow our electronic devices. I shoot my mom a look and stuff the player under my leg and turn the volume down. Colleen begins to show signs of stress and is looking around suspiciously. Mom and I begin reading books to her, which she is trying to sling into the aisle.

As she realizes that the players are gone, Colleen becomes more agitated. The stuffed caterpillar she has been carrying is tossed angrily over the seat in front of her, into the elderly man’s lap. He startles with alarm, then hands it back, smiling in understanding. Now mom and I are holding her hands to keep her from pulling on the seat in front of her and singing to keep her from screaming-we know that it is coming.

The dam breaks and shrieks are echoing off of the curved walls in the enclosed cabin. Colleen reaches forward in an attempt to pull herself up and Mom’s hand slips off of hers. I watch in absolute horror as Colleen palms the old man’s bald head and digs her nails in, trying to find purchase. Mom begins to apologize, while I am extracting Colleen’s claws from the man’s brain matter. I look at my dad for the first time to find him trying his best not to laugh at the hilarious expression on the man’s face.

Finally I forget the flight attendant’s adamant attitude about electronics and pull out all of the DVD players I can find. It is too late. It takes close to 45 minutes to calm Colleen down and about 5 minutes to call in her prescription of Valium for the return flight.

Colleen flies no longer.